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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

We’ve had great success with Cameron Hughes, a negociant who sources surplus grapes from top tier wineries. He then releases the wines with lot numbers and a bit of secrecy. We’ve scored some delicious wines through CH.

I like the concept of field blends, but in most cases the reality doesn’t play out well. For a typical blend the varieties come from different blocks or vineyards. For a field blend, you have the grapes intermingled in one vineyard and the grapes go through the harvest and winemaking process together.

It’s not an expensive wine, at just $12, but it is out of the ordinary. Lot 313 is an interesting collage of Zinfandel 71%, Petite Sirah 10%, Syrah 10% and Carignane at 9%.

For us this was a “bridge” wine, if there is such a thing. We had enjoyed a nice Paso Robles Cabernet with dinner and were getting ready to uncork a nice Syrah at 10:00 PM sharp (part of an online wine event). However, our decanter ran dry too quickly, and we needed a wine to tide us over.

This has flavors of raspberry and blackberries interwoven with a slight tartness. It also has a fresh, juicy quality as if you were eating berries off the bush. There’s not much complexity and the finish is very short.

It is what it is – a refreshingly different California wine that can be had at a nice price. I can’t say it is “outstanding in its field” but you may enjoy it if you are out standing in a field.